Commissioners say reassessment cannot be delayed as residents press for re-notification and appeal time

Residents at the Oct. 1 Lackawanna County commissioners meeting pressed the board for more time and clearer notices on a countywide property reassessment; commissioners and county staff responded that the assessment office must certify values by Nov. 15 and that legal and operational constraints make a delay infeasible.

Multiple residents raised concerns during public comment about notice content and the ability to appeal. Michelle Tierney of Glenburn Township asked whether an upcoming Penn State Extension forum on Oct. 15 was being broadly advertised; she then praised the commissioners’ efforts to secure a special election for a vacant seat and asked whether there was “a final date that the reassessed values of homes need to be sent in?” Chair Bill Gahan (as identified in the meeting) responded: “November 15. It needs to be certified by November 15.”

Other public speakers urged the board to reconsider the reassessment timeline. A resident, Bob Bull of Scranton, and other commenters also raised unrelated concerns about hospital ownership, PTSD services and tax assessments during public comment; Joan Hodowanitz asked whether the draft county budget would be released on Oct. 15 and whether the newly elected commissioner could be sworn in before budget or reassessment deadlines.

Commissioner remarks and staff clarifications

Commissioner (identified in transcript as) Chermack urged accuracy and proposed options to reduce community confusion—suggesting re‑mailing corrected notices that would list both current and new assessed values plus an estimate of the tax impact, and offering a three‑month additional appeal window for properties that might see increases. He said some hearing panels were finding high rates of incorrect assessments among appealed parcels and argued that additional notice and time would reduce litigation risk.

Chair Bill Gahan and county staff answered that the assessment office, led by Pat Tobin, must certify the values by Nov. 15 and that the county lacks a practical mechanism to delay implementation. Gahan cited court orders and operational constraints, saying a six‑month delay would cause “chaos” and likely require re‑hiring contractor services and additional expense. He also cited guidance from reassessment professionals who warned against issuing tax‑impact estimates when the base year for valuations exceeds 30 years and when a county anticipates large changes in commercial/industrial (C&I) property values. Gahan said: “This is why the law doesn't require tax impact estimates and why many counties don't choose to do it.”

County staff and the director of assessment (Pat Tobin) were quoted in the meeting explaining that a delay could reopen litigation, result in outdated valuations, and require additional contract work to implement. No formal motion to delay certification or otherwise alter the timeline was recorded in the meeting minutes.

What the meeting changed

No formal action to delay or extend reassessment deadlines was taken. Commissioners reiterated that certification remains the assessment office’s statutory responsibility and that the Nov. 15 certification deadline stands. Commissioners encouraged residents with questions to attend scheduled briefings: a public presentation by financial advisers PFM was announced for Monday, Oct. 6 at noon in the commissioners' boardroom; county staff also outlined upcoming opportunities to appeal and resources such as payment plans and existing property tax relief programs (homestead exclusion, clean and green, veterans exemptions) that the county’s website lists.

The discussion highlighted tension between resident concerns about notice clarity and the county’s position that state legal deadlines and previous court actions limit the board's ability to delay implementation.